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THE SHEPHERD'S SONG. 



A CAROL OR HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS 






WEET Mufick, Tweeter far 
Then any fong is fweet : 
Sweet Mufick heavenly rare, 
Mine ears, O peeres, doth greet. 
Yon gentle flocks,whofe fleeces,pearl'd with dew, 
Referable Heaven, whom golden drops make 
bright : 
Liften, O liften, now, O not to you 

Our pipes make fport to fhorten weary night. 
But voices mod: divine 

Make blifsfull harmonie : 
Voices that feem to mine, 
For what elfe clears the fky ? 
Tunes can we hear, but not the fingers fee, 
The tunes divine, and fo the fingers be. 

Loe how the firmament 
Within an azure fold 
The flock of ftars hath pent, 
That we might them behold. 
Yet from their beams proceedeth not this light, 
Nor can their chriftals fuch reflection give. 






What then doth make the element fo bright ? 

The heavens are come down upon earth 

But harken to the fong, [to live. 

Glory to Glory's King, 
And peace all men among, 
Thefe chorifters do Ting. 
Angels they are, as alfo (Shepherds) he 
Whom in our fear we do admire to fee. 

Let not amazement blind 

Your fouls, faid he, annoy : 
To you and all mankind 
My mefTage bringeth joy. 
For lo the world's great Shepherd now is 
born 
A blefled babe, an infant full of power: 
After long night, up-rifen is the morn, 
Renowning Bethlem in the Saviour. 
Sprung is the perfect day, 

By prophets feen afar 
Sprung is the mirthful May 
Which Winter cannot mar. 
In David's city doth this fun appear : 
Clouded in flefh, yet Shepherds fit we here. 

Edmund Bolton. 



mssssmssssm 







THE STAR SONG. 

A flourijh of ' Mufick ; then follows the 
Song. 



I. 




ELL us, thou clear and hea- 
venly tongue, 
Where is the Babe that lately 
fprung ? 



Lies he the lily-banks among ? 

2. 
Or fay, if this new Birth of ours 
Sleeps, laid within fome ark of flowers, 
Spangled with deaw-light; thou canil clear 
All doubts, and manifeft the where. 

3- 

Declare to us, bright ftar, if we mall feek 

Him in the morning's blufhing cheek, 
Or fearch the beds of fpices through, 
To find him out ? 



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Star. 
No, this ye need not do ; 
But only come and fee Him reft, 
A Princely Babe, in's mother's breaft. 

Chorus. 
He's feen ! He's feen ! why then around, 
Let's kifs the fweet and holy ground ; 
And all rejoice that we have found 
A King, before conception, crown'd. 



Come then, come then, and let us bring 
Unto our prettie twelfth-tide King, 
Each one his feveral offering. 

Chorus. 
And when night comes wee'l give him waf- 

failing ; 
And that his treble honours may be feen, 
Wee'l choofe him King, and make his mo- 
ther Queen. 

Herrick. 









I fing thy Birth, Oh Jefu ! 
Thou prettie Babie, borne here, 
With fup'rabundant fcorn here : 
Who for Thy Princely Port here, 
Hadft for Thy place 
Of Birth, a bafe 
Out-ftable for thy Court here. 

Inftead of neat Inclofures 
Of interwoven Ofiers ; 
Inftead of fragrant Pofies 
Of Daffadills, and Rofes ; 








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J/,f) Worfhip, ye fages of the can 1 , 

The King of gods in meannefs drefT'd. 
?/ j f~ O blefTed maid, fmile and adore 

The God thy womb and arms have bore. 



Star, angels, fhepherds, and wild fages, 
Thou virgin glory of all ages, 
Reftored frame of Heaven and Earth, 
Joy in your dear Redeemer's birth ! 

Bishop Hall. 




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Down from celeftial climes of day 
He haftes to tread our ball, 

Glory illumines all the way, 
O crown him Lord of all ! 

Hark ! loud hofannahs from the fong 

The melting airs inthrall, 
A Saviour angels waft along, 

And fhout him Lord of all. 

Wrapt in their folded vefts of light 
They feek the fordid ftall, 




Chrift by higheft Heaven ador'd, 
Chrift the everlafting Lord ! 
Late in time behold him come, 
Offspring of a Virgin's womb. 

Hark ! the herald, &c. 

Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace ! 
Hail the Sun of Righteoufnefs ! 
Light and life to all he brings, 
Rifen with healing in his wings. 
Hark ! the herald, &c. 

Mild he lays his glory by, 
Born that man no more may die, 
Born to raife the fons of earth, 
Born to give them fecond birth. 
Hark ! the herald, &c. 

I. C. W. 










WHILST SHEPHERDS 
WATCH'D. 

IHilft Shepherds watch'd their 
flocks by night, 
All feated on the ground, 
The Angel of the Lord came down 
And glory ihone around. 

Fear not, faid he, for mighty dread 
Had feized their troubled mind 

Glad tidings of great joy I bring 
To you and all mankind. 

To you in David's town this day 

Is born of David's line 
A Saviour, which is Chrift the Lord ; 

And this (hall be the fign. 




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The neavenly Babe you there (hall find, 

To human view difplayed, 
All meanly wrapt in Twaddling bands 

And in a manger laid. 

Thus fpake the Seraph, and forthwith 
Appeared a heavenly throng 

Of Angels praifing God, and thus 
Addrefl'ed their joyful fong : 

All glory be to God on high, 

And to the earth be peace ; 
Good-will henceforth from Heav'n to men 

Begin and never ceafe. 

Hallelujah. 

Tate. 



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GOD REST YOU MERRY 
GENTLEMEN. 



OD reft you merry gentlemen, 
Let nothing you difmay, 
For Jefus Chrift our Saviour 
Was born upon this day, 
To fave us all from Satan's power 
When we were gone aftray. 

O tidings of comfort and joy, 
For Jefus Chrift our Saviour was born on 
Chriftmas day. 



In Bethlehem in Jury 

This blefTed babe was born 

And laid within a manger 
Upon this blefTed morn ; 

The which his mother Mary 
Nothing did take in fcorn. 

O tidings, &c. 







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From God our Heavenly Father 

A blefled Angel came, 
And unto certain Shepherds 

Brought tidings of the fame ; 
How that in Bethlehem was born 

The Son of God by name. 

O tidings, &c. 

Fear not, then faid the Angel, 
Let nothing you affright, 

This day is born a Saviour 
Of virtue, power and might ; 

So frequently to vanquifh all 
The friends of Satan quite. 

O tidings, &c. 

The Shepherds at thofe tidings 

Rejoiced much in mind, 
And left their flocks a feeding 

In tempeft, ftorm, and wind, 
And went to Bethlehem ftraightway, 

This blefled Babe to find. 

O tidings, &c. 









But when to Bethlehem they came, 

Whereas this infant lay, 
They found him in a manner 

Where oxen feed on hay, 
His mother Mary kneeling 

Unto the Lord did pray. 

O tidings, &c. 

Now to the Lord fing praifes 
All you within this place, 

And with true love and brotherhood 
Each other now embrace ; 

This holy tide of Chriftmas 
All others doth deface. 

O tidings, &c. 

Popular Carol 



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